Stranger Times
by Phoenix-Talon
Summary: Sequel to Time Strangers. A new threat approaches Storybrooke, Emma and Neal try to figure out where they're at, while Belle is determined to break the link between the dagger and Rumplestiltskin. A rewrite of season 4.
1. Chapter 1

For the first time in a long time, Storybrooke awoke in peace. No curses looming, no magic pouring out of enchanted aquifers, just a simple wholesome small town peace. Emma awoke to it in welcome, stretching a little as she heard the telltale sounds of David putting the coffee on and Mary Margaret humming to herself. Sleepily, she swung her legs over, smiling when she heard Henry greet his grandparents cheerfully.

Her phone buzzed a little and she picked it up. Her cheeks warmed as she read the text message and she cleared her throat, trying to squelch the butterflies in her stomach. She gave the message one last reread before padding downstairs to join her family for breakfast.

Across town, Neal was brushing his teeth, looking forward to coffee and bagels downstairs. He tried to keep his eyes from drifting to his phone, to check if Emma had replied. His phone remained silent.

In the forest, Marian stepped out of her tent, admiring the way the morning light hit the tree branches. Her son giggled as Little John chased him around the campfire, yelling that the boy better give back the cast iron pot, or they'd be eating raw Roland for breakfast. Robin appeared behind Marian, putting his arms around her. She was tempted to lean into his warmth, to accept him wholeheartedly—but she remained stiff as a board. She couldn't forget the anguish in Regina's expression the previous night. She could not forget Robin's sadness when he looked at her.

She could not forget that however briefly—her husband had been with that woman.

In the largest house in Storybrooke, Regina's eyes flicked open. Sunlight streamed into her room and she sleepily rose on one elbow, reaching for a glass of water at her bedside. She took a long drink before suddenly remembering that she was not alone in her bed.

"Ugh," Regina grumbled to herself. Killian Jones was asleep next to her, proof of what she'd hoped had been a lonely, drunken dream. She was rarely that lucky.

"Get up," She ordered, poking his bare shoulder. "Killian—wake up!"

He groaned into the pillow and raised his head slightly. He took in Regina's disheveled appearance and smiled lazily.

"So it wasn't a dream," He purred reaching towards her. Impatiently, she swatted his hand away.

"Just a night of bad decisions," She replied smoothly. "Something I'm sure you're used to. You can see yourself out." She glided towards her closet, picking out a black skirt and ivory blouse.

Hook watched her contentedly. "Not much for morning cuddles, are you?" He cracked a grin at her, to which she responded with a disgusted glance.

"I don't have time to assuage your male ego," She said crisply. "You can make yourself some coffee downstairs. Then I expect you to leave."

"Have it your way, then," Hook replied comfortably, hopping off the bed. She kept her back turned to him as she heard him shrug into his breeches. He stepped towards her, approaching from behind, winding an arm around her waist.

"I enjoyed this," He murmured in her ear. "Call on me again."

"Doubtful," Regina said coldly. "You're not a priority right now."

XXXX

"Robin," One of the merry men called out. "We've visitors."

Robin glanced forward, seeing a woman in lilac approach their company. A tall young man stood next to her, holding an infant, keeping a wary eye on their band. The woman cleared her throat.

"My name is Aurora," She said clearly. "And my husband, Philip. We used to rule one of the kingdoms in our world—or our parents did, anyway."

Philip inclined his head towards them and Robin smiled. "We remember you," He said pleasantly. "What can we help you with?"

"We're searching for our friend," Philip said seriously. "Since the second curse, we have not seen the warrior Mulan in Storybrooke—but we know she parted ways with us and joined your company. Can you tell us what happened to her?"

Robin glanced at Little John, whose face became impassive. The merry men shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry to say we don't know what happened to her," Robin said evenly. "She was a welcome addition to our family but since we've arrived in Storybrooke, we've not seen hide nor hair of her."

Aurora's brow furrowed. "But you must know _something_," She insisted. "She went off with you all so suddenly. Was there—any sort of special mission, any task she had to complete, before the curse hit?"

Friar Tuck coughed. Robin smiled sadly.

"I'm very sorry we couldn't be more help," He said gently. "Mulan was a good friend to all of us. If you find out where she is, I hope you'll be good enough to send word."

Aurora stepped back in disappointment. Philip eyed Robin somewhat skeptically but nodded, soothing the baby, who'd begun to fuss. As they walked away together, Marian turned towards Robin.

"You lied to them," Her voice was low, not accusing, merely perplexed.

"We didn't lie," Little John defended. "We don't know where she is."

"But there's more to it, isn't there?" Marian pressed. "What happened to their friend?"

"Marian," Robin said gravely. "Leave it."

"Leave it?!" She thundered. "Why should we—"

"Because you're back!" Robin snapped. "Because you're here—safe and alive. With our son. We're together again and I will do nothing, _nothing_ that will endanger that ever again. You trusted me before….please, trust me again." He took her hands kissing them sweetly. Marian closed her eyes at his touch, thanking God she was back where she belonged.

She would not press the issue. For now.

XXXX

"Am I seriously going back to _school_?" Henry complained.

Emma ruffled his hair. "Where else would you be going?"

"I dunno—y'know, I figured after getting our memories back and coming to Storybrooke again, there'd be bigger fish to fry. Less middle school gym class, more sword fights and dragon slaying," Henry pointed out.

Emma laughed. "Well, maybe your teachers will have a new curriculum now that things are _finally_ settled and peaceful."

"Don't jinx it, Mom," Henry said warningly. "Hey, Dad!" He greeted suddenly, seeing Neal jog up to them.

"Hey kid," Neal greeted him cheerfully. He was holding two to-go cups of hot chocolate and generously handed them over. Henry took a long sip, relishing the chocolate, while Neal and Emma met each others eyes, smiling shyly.

He cleared his throat. "So—"

"Henry!"

All three of them turned to see Regina striding towards them. Emma stiffened noticeably and Neal's mouth set in a firm line.

"I need to talk to Henry," Regina said without preamble.

"Yeah, well Henry has to get to school," Emma snapped. "He's already running late."

"Mom, it's okay," Henry tried to break in. "I can talk to her, I don't mind."

"I said no," Emma took a step forward, bearing down on Regina. "And she knows why."

Neal took Henry's arm. "C'mon, kid," He said gruffly. "Let's get you to school. Emma—call me if you need anything." She nodded towards him and he briskly walked Henry off.

"He's still my son," Regina's voice quivered. "He still loves me."

"That may be the case," Emma snapped. "But you're going to have to earn spending time with him. After what you did to Graham. After what you did to Marian."

"That's not fair!" She shouted. "You know I've been trying to change, trying to be better for Henry!"

"At what point?" Emma roared, her face contorted in fury. "When you squeezed the life out of Graham because he _dared_ to love me more than you? When you and your mom spent the previous year trying to kill everyone in this town? When have you put Henry first? When are you going to realize that your desire for Henry is _selfish_ and about _you_, not him!"

Regina stopped short. For the first time in her life, she seemed at a loss for words. She stared at Emma's fuming countenance and cleared her throat.

"What—what can I do," Her voice was small. "What can I do to get Henry back?"

"At the moment, nothing," Emma snarled. "Try apologizing to Marian and then work from there." She turned on her heel, leaving Regina alone on the sidewalk.

XXXX

Neal eyed Regina and Emma as he led Henry down the walkway. The conversation did not appear to be going well.

"Dad," Henry coughed. "I'm really okay with talking to her…why is Mom so mad?"

Neal sighed in response. "Your mom…she just discovered that an old friend of hers was killed by Regina. And she's having a hard time accepting that, especially since we saw that guy when we were thrown back into the past."

His son was quiet for a long moment. "Was it Graham?"

Neal stilled. "You knew him?"

Henry nodded. "He used to be the sheriff here. He died after Emma came here—and they got really close. I knew it was my mom that killed him, I guess it didn't occur to Emma till now…" His expression became brooding, thoughtful, and Neal was uncomfortably aware that his son bore a resemblance to Rumplestiltskin in this.

Henry stiffened and Neal glanced forward, seeing Hook approach them. The pirate was wincing in the sunlight, as if nursing a bad headache, but he gave them a grim smile.

"Hello boys," He greeted them amiably. "Fine morning, isn't it?"

"Hook," Neal said in a slightly guarded voice. "What do you want?"

"Just wanted to see my favorite lads," He grinned at them toothily. "Off to school then, eh?"

"Unless I can talk Dad out of it," Henry said hopefully, earning a chuckle from Neal. Hook beamed, obviously pleased to have warranted a pleasant moment.

"I think that's a fine idea," He suggested eagerly. "What say you we all skive off, go sailing for a little bit? I've heard there are some caves nearby that could stand for some investigation."

"I don't think so," Neal said firmly. "Henry's going to school." The bus pulled up and regretfully, Henry hugged his father, hopping onboard. Neal waved at him before turning to face Hook fully.

"What are you doing?" He wanted to know.

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you acting like this?" Neal asked suspiciously. "Trying to be all buddy-buddy? Last I checked, you and I weren't on the same team."

"Of course we're on the same team!" Hook said offended. "Your lad means the world to me, why else would I have come with you lot to Neverland? What's more, I gave you my blessing to pursue Emma, didn't I?"

"You did that when you thought I was dead and what the hell makes you think I need your blessing?" Neal tapped his foot impatiently. "Seriously, Hook—what's your deal?"

Killian sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Look—I know I've made mistakes in the past. But despite what you may think, despite my thick-headed moments—you're important to me. I want to do right by you, and your family."

Neal watched him for a long while. "All right," Neal said finally. "You wanna do right by me and my family? Start with Belle."

Hook blinked. "What?"

"Belle," Neal folded his arms. "You know, the woman you've terrorized several times over the past two years? The woman you shot because you wanted to get to Rumple, the woman you terrified so badly in the library, she locked herself up in the elevator, the woman you nearly killed when she was captive by Regina?"

Hook rubbed his neck awkwardly.

"Belle's my family," Neal told him sternly. "Kind of like my stepmother now, I guess. But whatever, you owe her an apology."

It clearly had never occurred to Hook that Belle was her own person, not just an extension of Rumplestiltskin's to wound. Processing this, Hook gave a small imperceptible nod.

"Good," Neal said satisfied. "But uh…wait a week, will you? They're on their honeymoon and if you interrupt them, even I can't save you from my pop's wrath."

XXXX

Belle sat on the corner of the bed frowning as she perused an ancient tome. She was clad in only a white shirt that she'd swiped from her new husband, and she absently drank a cup of tea, brows furrowed as she scanned the spidery script. The cabin was secluded, inviting privacy and solitude, something Belle and Rumplestiltskin were in desperate need of.

"Belle?" Gold entered the bedroom and she glanced up, smiling at his entrance. She felt a burst of warmth and pride that she could now call him her husband.

"Just doing a little reading," She greeted him, stretching a little. His eyes roved over her small form and she flushed, pleased at the attention. It had been a _very_ good honeymoon.

"Reading on what?" Gold joined her on the bed, wrapping his arms around her. He kissed below her earlobe and she inhaled sharply.

"The Dark One's dagger," Belle replied, abruptly jolting him out of his ministrations. "I think it may come from Slavic origins…or, our world's equivalent."

Gold gently turned her around. "Why are you researching the dagger?"

She chewed her lip. "I don't like it having control over you…and I don't like _me_ having control over you, come to that. What's more…I don't you ever _used_ like a tool again—Zelena, she…I know she hurt you."

Gold cleared his throat, attempting to banish the memory of acid green eyes, laughing as he struggled against the compulsion of the dagger. He winced at the memory and Belle rubbed his arms.

"If we broke your bond to the dagger," She said quietly. "It wouldn't rule you any longer."

He was quiet for a long moment. "Would that…would that take my power away too?"

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Belle asked earnestly. "What need to you have of magic any longer? You've got your son back, we're married, the evil with Zelena is over and done with. We could start living out our own happily ever after."

Live without magic?

He'd done so once before. Once upon a time. In another time, another place, a life that felt so far away he often wondered if it had been a dream. He'd been a sniveling coward, practically a beggar—but his son had loved him nevertheless. He felt certain, at any rate, that Belle would love him regardless too.

But he had leaned on magic for so long…and this was Storybrooke. There would be recurring danger every day, for as long as they both lived. He had made a lot of enemies in 200 years.

"No, Belle," Gold shook his head. "You mustn't research it any longer. A lost cause, sweetheart."

Belle's lower lip stuck out in stubbornness. "I don't believe that."

"The dagger is ancient," Gold told her. "I don't even know if it originates from our world truly. There is no way to break my bond from the dagger—except to kill me, and a new Dark One take my place."

"All curses can be broken," Belle whispered to him and he smiled at that. He kissed her tenderly, her lips tingling against his. True love's kiss may not work the same way it did in their old land, but he felt it every moment with Belle.

"There is no curse," Gold said gently. "As long as I'm with you." He kissed her again, his lips starting to trail down the corner of her mouth to her jaw-line. Belle closed her eyes and sighed as he drew her into his arms. She would let her new husband love her, take them both away from reality—it was their honeymoon, after all. But she was far from through with her research.

XXXX

"Emma!"

Emma glanced up to see Aurora burst through the doors of the sheriff's office, a determined glint in her eyes. Philip trailed behind her, holding their son.

"Aurora," She set down her coffee cup. "Everything okay?"

"I need your help," Aurora said without preamble. "It's Mulan. She's not here—she's not with the Merry Men, she's not anywhere in Storybrooke—she's just _gone_, and we have to find her!"

"Slow down," Emma stood, circling around her desk to join them. "We'll figure this out. She can't just be _gone_."

"Everyone in the Enchanted Forest is supposed to be here," Aurora took a deep breath. "We need to take a census or something to be sure—but I've looked everywhere, asked everyone—no one has seen her!"

"Originally, she went off with the Merry Men," Philip spoke up, bouncing their baby a little. "But Robin wasn't able to tell us anything." His eyes narrowed and Emma realized that Philip was of the opinion that the outlaw wasn't sharing everything.

"I know we're all trying to take a breath after all that's happened," Aurora attempted a reasonable tone. "And I'm not trying to imply something insidious is happening—but Emma, Mulan is our closest friend. She means everything to us. And I just—I just don't understand why she wouldn't seek us out in Storybrooke, at least to make sure we're all right."

A shadow fell across Philip's face, something Emma noticed but did not fully understand. But as soon as she had, it was gone.

"Please, Emma," Philip's voice was pleading. "We need to find her."

Emma nodded. "Okay," She cleared her throat. "I like your census idea. Let's start there and work are way forward."

XXXX

Neal was wiping down the counters when the door to the pawnshop jangled. A woman breezed in, clad completely in black, carefully removing an artfully decorated hat. She was class from head to toe, wearing an expensive-looking wrap dress, a deep purple scarf wrapped around her pale throat. She lowered her sunglasses and smiled at him.

"Is Mr. Gold here?" She purred, her voice like velvet. Neal blinked warily.

"Sorry," He tossed the rag behind him. "He's on his honeymoon. I'm holding up the fort while he's gone."

"Really," Her bright eyes sparkled. "How lovely for him. Unfortunately, my business is rather urgent—if you have a number you could reach him at…"

"Sorry," Neal replied again, a little more firmly. "But they're under a strict Do Not Disturb command. I can pass along a message for you if you want, but unless I can help you, you're out of luck."

"Hm," The woman said softly, her eyes narrowing. "You're his son, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Neal crossed his arms. "What about it?" Something about this woman bothered him, though he couldn't put a finger on what.

Her lips curved into a smile. "I may just have use for you."

Before Neal could respond, the doors to the pawnshop opened and Emma came inside. She gave him a shy smile before moving towards the side, waiting for Neal to finish up.

"Anything else you need?" Neal asked the woman impatiently.

"Not just now," She said smoothly. "I think I'll browse, if you don't mind. Good day, Miss Swan." She nodded towards Emma who glanced at her, returning the nod. She approached the counter and Neal smiled at her.

"You're working here?" She cocked her head to the side. "I don't really see you as the pawnbroker type."

"Just doing my old man a favor," Neal replied, leaning against the glass. "You know Gold—doing him a favor might come in handy later on."

Emma smirked. "You are your father's son."

"Gee thanks," Neal rolled his eyes. His eyes fell towards her hand, lightly resting on the glass countertop. His fingers twitched a little, but he resisted the urge to take her hands.

"So, um," Emma cleared her throat. "About—about what happened at your dad's wedding."

Neal nodded and waited for her to go on. Her mouth opened a little, but she seemed to have nothing to say.

"I—it's not—we're, you see…I don't even know where I'm going," Emma exhaled in frustration.

"Emma," Neal said gently. "It's fine. There's no expectation. If…you wanna pretend like it didn't happen…that's all right."

"I don't want that," Emma replied immediately and her quick response made him smile. Tentatively, she covered his hand with hers.

"It's just—obviously a lot's happened in the last couple of years," Emma took a deep breath. "And I'm still trying to figure out where I'm at in all of this. I know I belong here, I know this his home, and I know I'm Henry's mom and he's the best thing I've got. But anything else? It's just…a lot."

Neal nodded in understanding.

"And it's not that I don't want to be with you, and it's not that the kiss didn't mean anything," Emma swallowed. "But—I'm nervous about this. I'm nervous about it getting screwed up again and it hurting Henry. And I just—I'm not sure where to go from that point…"

"We can go slow," Neal said softly. "Emma, I don't expect you anything. I don't want to push you, not after everything that's happened. I want to go at your pace, I want you to be ready for wherever we're at. You and Henry mean everything to me, and I agree…I don't want to screw this up again."

She smiled then, so heartbreakingly, that it took all of Neal's willpower not to lean over and kiss her right then. He settled for squeezing her hand instead.

"How about this," Emma suggested. "Tomorrow, we're having a mandatory town meeting in the courthouse. We're doing a census and I guess discussing who's going to be in charge of Storybrooke."

Neal's eyebrow quirked. "Not Regina?"

"Well, since we never really had a non-cursed vote for her, no," Emma said wryly. "Snow was talking about having a democratic election—she's been reading up on American history, won't stop talking about it. I think David's more into the monarchy, but.—anyway," Emma shook her head to get back on point. "How about after—you and I get that meal we never got around to?"

Neal smiled slowly. "I think that sounds great."

The two of them smiled at each other a little awkwardly, before Emma squeezed Neal's hands once more. In the back, Maleficent exited the pawnshop, smiling to herself.

A town meeting, hm?


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh, I'm so excited!" Mary Margaret squealed. "We'll actually have our first democratic election—nothing rigged, no curse interfering—for the betterment of our town!"

"Hey," Emma pointed out, walking alongside her. "My election for sheriff wasn't rigged magically…it was just kind of sneakily staged by Gold…" Henry sniggered at her comment and Emma elbowed him.

"I don't see _why_ we're doing this," David grumbled. "We were king and queen of the Enchanted Forest, what was so wrong with reclaiming our titles?"

"You know it's not that simple," Mary Margaret retorted. "We're not the only rulers here. Aurora and Philip ruled their own kingdom, as did Ella and Thomas, _and_ Abigail and Frederick. We're all jumbled together here, an election is the best way to decide who rules—but first we have to decide if we even want to _have_ an election, if we want to decide through a different process—"

"Is my mom running?" Henry asked. "Regina, I mean?"

Mary Margaret and David glanced at each other and Emma's expression became very black.

"I think she's ruled enough," She said darkly, approaching the courthouse. They entered and found Neal sitting near the front, saving them all seats.

"Dad!" Henry greeted with a grin. "You're here too?"

"Definitely," Neal replied easily. "Belle was interested in running for mayor, if we decide on the democratic process. She asked me to come and take notes for her. Very American for the Enchanted Forest, I feel almost doubly patriotic."

"Please, like you ever voted," Emma snorted, taking a seat next to him. He smiled at her, earning a stomach flip.

"Dad, do you want to get ice cream after the meeting?" Henry asked.

Neal scratched his neck. "Well, actually kid, I haven't eaten dinner yet, so…"

"So, I was going to take him somewhere," Emma finished. "Somewhere to eat. Because you ate with Mary Margaret and David and I haven't yet, I just got off from the sheriff's office, and I'm hungry too…so we're going to eat. Somewhere."

"Oh," Henry said carefully, looking straight ahead. Emma could tell he was trying very hard not to smirk or display any sign of positive emotion, for fear of upsetting the apple cart. Neal noticed this too, and winked at Emma, who rolled her eyes in response.

Archie stepped up to the podium, clearing his throat. "People of Storybrooke," He announced. "I want to thank you all for coming to our town meeting—everyone's commitment and determination to make a new life for ourselves is inspiring. I'm so honored to be a part of this community."

He cleared his throat while people applauded politely. "To start off the meeting, now that Regina is no longer in power—the first order of business. Deciding on our town's government. Will we follow in our ancestors' footsteps and reinstate the monarchy, or will we embrace the traditions of this land's government? After all, we have complied with it for near thirty years—"

"If we're reinstating the monarchy, shouldn't Regina officially abdicate?"

Emma frowned and turned in her seat. At the corner of the room stood a beautiful young woman, leaning against the wall. She wore dark sunglasses, a black trench coat, and a crafty smile. She removed her sunglasses and someone gasped.

"I mean, official abdication, since she was the past ruler," The woman's eyes glittered in a strangely familiar way—Emma tried to place where she'd seen them.

"Well, she was mayor," Archie coughed.

"Not really," The woman laughed softly. "She was still the Evil Queen, still in control, still running her kingdom, just with a different outfit. You people can claim all you like that she's was voted, that you want to vote, but you were a people meant to be ruled. A thousand years of tradition and fairytales can't halt just because of a lark."

"You're one to talk," Someone said angrily, in a shaky voice. Emma realized with a start that Aurora had stood.

The woman arched an aristocratic brow. "Aurora, darling, is that you? How charming to find you here, I assumed you'd be home 'bringing up baby' or whatever's your hobby these days—"

Aurora whirled around towards Archie. "What on earth is she _doing _here?" She demanded. "Do you know what she _did_ to me? To Philip?!"

"Hang on, hang on," Emma stood, attempting to keep the peace. "Who exactly is this person?"

The woman smiled broadly at Emma. "Why dear, don't you remember me? And after our heart to heart, so to speak, I thought we'd gotten so close." She tapped the wall impatiently with red-lacquered nails and Emma tried to place her.

"You'll have to refresh my memory," Emma crossed her arms.

She smiled again. "Strange—you'd think the Savior would keep a close record on everyone she's plunged a sword through their heart."

For a moment, Emma was lost. Then it clicked.

"Wait a second—you're the—you were the dragon?" Emma said thunderstruck.

"You are your father's girl," She chuckled. "I prefer Maleficent."

A sudden hush fell over the crowd. David, none too casually, reached for his gun.

"Oh, stop it, princeling," Maleficent said good-humoredly. "We don't want a shoot-out, not with all these charming young faces presence. Besides, I'm not here for a battle."

"And I suppose you're here to run?" Philip said challengingly.

"Well, if not Regina, why not me?" Maleficent smiled invitingly. "You know, Storybrooke's existed without her curse for what, two or three years? And yet directly after the curse was lifted, she resumed her mayoral duties as if nothing had happened. You became so complacent under her rule, you chose to accept her as your ruler without question."

"That isn't true!" Grumpy shouted.

"She was a tyrant, just like you!" Someone else yelled.

"Temper, temper," Maleficent's eyes gleamed. "Decisions haven't been made, after all. Were you planning on reinstating Regina?"

"Of course not!" Emma snapped.

"And you wish to adopt this democratic process for your little town of Storybrooke, disregarding thousands of years of your ancestors' traditions, is that correct?"

The crowed looked uncomfortable. Emma's brow knitted with concern as they shifted, muttering amongst themselves, until someone finally stood.

"I stand for the Princess Aurora!" He shouted. "And I'll be ruled only by her! Her mother was my queen and I will serve no one else!"

Grumpy growled, standing as well. "Well, me and the dwarves are only serving Snow and Charming," He growled. "And we won't stand for any treason."

"Everyone, please," Snow attempted to restore order. "This isn't how we were going to settle this!"

"Quite right," Maleficent undercut her. "And so I leave it to the people of Storybrooke to answer. I have no quarrel with any of you—except Regina, of course. It is my intention to force her abdication and become Mayor of Storybrooke myself."

"When hell freezes over," Aurora snarled, storming towards her. "My people are loyal to me, not to you!"

"Our people Aurora, our people!" Snow pleaded.

The sleeping beauty ignored her. "Those of my kingdom, follow me!" She commanded. "We will not let this evil fairy get anywhere near our people. Gather to me in center square!" She strode out of the courthouse, Philip on her arm, a sizable crowd following her.

Ruby turned towards Snow. "We're behind you, your highness," She promised. "You and Emma, of course. The royal family." As she spoke, the crowds disbursed further, some following Abigail and Frederick, others following Ella and Thomas.

"No, that's not—we were supposed to unite during this meeting, not divide…" Snow said helplessly. David put his arm around her.

"This is all _her_ fault," Henry turned to point towards Maleficent. "Wait—she's gone! Where'd she go? I thought she wanted to be mayor!"

"Actually, Henry," Emma said darkly. "I think this is exactly what she wanted."

XXXX

"What do we do?" Emma asked. "The whole town is divided on this. There are people here who weren't affected by Regina's curse, they're obviously going to follow Aurora and Philip. Frederick and Abigail don't have a huge kingdom, but they've got a lot of wealthy backers. And Thomas' father is already pushing for Thomas to stake a claim as leader."

Her dinner with Neal cancelled, the troop of them retreated to Mary Margaret's apartment to discuss strategy. Snow was clutching a mug of tea tightly, her brows pinched in worry. Neal was putting Henry to bed—too old for stories, they preferred to play a few video games before Neal finally gave up, soundly beaten by his son. David was pacing in agitation.

"Frederick and Abigail won't oppose us," He said finally. "Abigail and I go way back. They might even ally with us, if we play our cards right."

"Don't be too sure about that," Neal broke into the conversation, headed down the stairs. "Frederick doesn't like you."

David looked shocked. "Why doesn't he like me?"

"Because you slept with his wife," Neal said matter-of-factly.

"I was under a curse!"

"Well, you try explaining that to him," Neal took a seat on a stool. "He's still pissed about it."

David groaned. "I can't believe Maleficent screwed this up so badly. Now the entire town's turning against each other—at least with Regina, we all had a common enemy."

"We still do," Emma growled. "Regina is not our friend. But it had to come to this eventually, didn't it? Maybe we can separate Storybrooke into, I dunno, city states or something for each kingdom—"

"That is, if we're not at war by the morning," Snow said gloomily. "I can't think about this anymore. I'm going to bed."

"I better get going too," Neal put in. "Henry creamed me at Mario Kart, so I might as well head to Granny's."

"I'll walk you back," Emma volunteered, grabbing her leather jacket.

"You don't have to," Neal scratched his neck. "Not a far walk."

She smiled at him shyly. "I want to."

XXXX

"Another crisis in the kingdom," Emma sighed. "I'm beginning to regret not taking Henry back to New York."

"No point in that," Neal said grimly. "Remember when you and my old man tracked me down? This stuff will follow you."

"Yeah, but he was so happy there," Emma shoved her hands in her pockets. "Life was simpler. He had lots of friends, he had places to go, a normal life—"

"Until your fiancé turned into a flying monkey," Neal pointed out.

"Okay, you got me there," She closed her eyes. "I don't know why I'm wishing for normal. My first love is the son of Rumplestiltskin, my long lost family is from a book of fairytales, and Henry's great-grandfather is Peter Pan. Why do I even bother?"

"It's hard to stop running once you've made a habit out of it," Neal acknowledged. "I've thought about bolting a time or two myself. But like I said—you can't escape your life. It catches up with you, whether you like it or not."

Emma thought of the night of her twenty-eighth birthday, when an enterprising ten-year-old appeared at her door. Her son changed her life that day in the most surprising, terrifying, and magical way.

"I think we should get all the former rulers together," She said finally. "Get us all in a room together, maybe have a few beers or something—we can work this out. Maleficent was obviously causing trouble—do you think she's working with Regina?"

Neal scratched his head. "Are they friends? She seemed to be pretty hostile towards the idea of Regina as mayor."

"It'd be a good cover," Emma replied stubbornly. "Those two witches working together, trying to take over the town. After all, that's what Cora and Regina were up to not so long ago."

"I guess so," Neal said doubtfully. "Still…there's something else that's bothering me about all this. I feel like…we're missing something. Something important, about how Maleficent returned."

"What does it matter?" Emma shrugged. "People disappear and reappear in this town all the time. I mean, haven't you died twice already?"

"Yeah, I'm beginning to think you're not a resident of Storybrooke unless you've died and come back to life," Neal remarked. They stopped short, in front of Granny's hotel. Neal took a breath and turned towards Emma.

"Well, here I am," He said pleasantly.

"Here you are," Emma replied with a smile. "You know…you should really start looking for a more permanent place to live."

"Yeah, my old man promised to help me find a good place," Neal cleared his throat. "Soon as he gets back…he'll be pretty interested in this whole Maleficent affair."

"Good," Emma shrugged her shoulders. "Henry wouldn't want you going anywhere."

They stood like that for a long moment. Neal cleared his throat twice, finally starting to turn towards the entrance to Granny's. Before he could make it, Emma stopped him. She gently kissed him on the check and he smiled in response, his own hand cupping her face. She could tell he wanted to kiss her fully, from the way his breathing hitched and how his thumb stroked her jaw-line, but remained perfectly steady. He was leaving the power in her hands.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Emma said softly.

"See you tomorrow," Neal said just as gently. Her heart fluttered when he inhaled sharply and broke away from her, walking up the steps to Granny's. _Easy, girl_, Emma said to herself as she turned back towards the road. _Don't get carried away. Keep it slow._

XXXX

It had been a _very _satisfying honeymoon.

Neal had kept the shop well. The shelves and counter were dusted, inventory meticulously kept on a spreadsheet, and little notes decorated the backroom, letting Gold know what calls he'd missed. Most of them were for Belle, various library patrons requesting asking for some book or another. He smiled to himself as he thought of his wife, who'd kissed him goodbye that morning before heading off to the reopen the library after her absence.

The door jangled and Gold looked up. He raised an eyebrow as Emma Swan approached him, looking nervous.

"Miss Swan," He greeted her. "This is a surprise."

She cleared her throat. "Glad to see you're back. I'm assuming you've heard everything that's happened?"

"Maleficent's return, you mean?" He queried. "Neal told me all about that. Seems our little dragon friend has a scheme up her sleeve…she always did enjoy playing with the magic she couldn't handle."

"I'm guessing you're not planning on doing anything to stop her," Emma observed, tapping her fingers against the glass counter.

"Why should I?" Gold returned. "She hasn't done anything yet, except roused the rabble that were probably going to side with their rulers anyway. These people are sheep, Miss Swan. They want familiar shepherds, not a way to govern themselves."

"You say that," Emma snapped. "But what you really mean—these people don't want to live here, they don't want to adapt here. They want to go home. Back to the Enchanted Forest."

Gold eyed her. "Is that what _you_ want, Miss Swan?" He asked quietly. "To reclaim your birthright? To become a princess and lead your people?"

Emma wrinkled. "Do you really think that's what I want?"

"You tell me," Gold returned. "I do find it curious that you're my first customer of the day."

There was a slight pause. Emma took a deep breath.

"I want you to teach me magic," She said in a rush.

Silence followed her pronouncement. Gold watched her for a long time, the only noise breaking the quiet was the ancient clock, ticking in the corner. His lip curled.

"I would've expected you to go to Regina for this sort of help," He said carefully.

"I'm not going to _her_," Emma spat. "I need you to teach me how to harness my powers. So I can protect this town, protect Henry. I need your help."

Gold inhaled sharply. "I won't deny," He said softly. "I have been…_curious_ about the extent of your powers…what exactly the product of true love can achieve, how much magic you possess…"

"We can find that out," Emma said firmly. "There's just one thing. You can't tell Neal."

His eyes narrowed. "You don't want me to tell my son that I'm teaching you magic?"

"You know Neal hates magic," Emma returned. "You know he wants both of us to put it behind us. The difference is, he thinks I don't have any interest in it and knows you have an addiction to it. If you tell him, he'll think you're conning me."

"Careful, Miss Swan," Gold said warningly. "That almost sounds like a threat."

"Call it what you want," Emma retorted. "I see it as good advice. Don't tell Neal that you're teaching me magic. What he doesn't know, can't hurt him."

"I've noticed whenever people use that phrase," Gold's voice was laced with iron. "The referred to party nearly always gets hurt."

"You can say no," Emma said slowly. "But I'm going to control this power inside me with or without your help. You can be on the ground floor or in the blasting zone. Your choice."

Gold watched her carefully. "Very well," He said finally. "But this stays between us." His meaning was clear. They would not tell Neal nor would they tell Belle.

Emma nodded and exited the shop.


End file.
